Lockheed Martin Acknowledges Surge in Cyber Attacks

Reuters' Andrea Shalal-Esa reports that Lockheed Martin is experiencing a "dramatic growth in the number and sophistication of international cyber attacks on its networks."

"Chandra McMahon, Lockheed vice president and chief information security officer, said about 20 percent of the threats directed at Lockheed networks were considered 'advanced persistent threats,' prolonged and targeted attacks by a nation state or other group trying to steal data or harm operations," Shalal-Esa writes. "'The number of campaigns has increased dramatically over the last several years,' McMahon told a news conference. 'The pace has picked up.'"

"According to Reuters, the attackers also target suppliers when they are unable to breach Lockheed's networks," writes CNET News' Dara Kerr. "To combat this problem, Lockheed has contacted these suppliers to help amp up security. After two of its suppliers were attacked in May 2011, Lockheed's networks were also penetrated by hackers. According to Reuters, McMahon said the main reason Lockheed's security was breached was because the hackers were able to steal information from its suppliers first."

"As the main information technology provider to the US government, Lockheed has long worked to secure data on computer networks run by a range of civilian and military agencies," writes SC Magazine's Dan Raywood. "The company is also trying to expand sales of cyber security technology and services to commercial firms, including its suppliers and foreign governments, according to executives."